Form fitting heating pad



Feb. 14, 1950 J. N, gATMAN 2,497,443

FORM FITTING HEATING PAD Filed Feb. 1, 1946 Fla/enfor- Patented Feb.14,1950

UNITED STATE FORM FITTING HEATING PAD osephine N. Eatman, St. Augustine,Fla. v 7

Application February 1, 1946, Serial No. 644,750

1 Claim. 1

' This invention relates to heating pads for the human body.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for heating certainselected portions of the human anatomy, while permitting freedom ofmovement of the wearer of the device.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a heating element forthe human body, which may be worn at work or at play, and retainedfirmly and securely in place against the said body.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide devices of theabove character which shall be adapted to be heated by filling thedevices with hot water, or in a different embodiment by electricalheating, electrical energy being derived from a portable battery securedat the waist of the wearer.

It is well known that many women are afflicted with periodic pains,which are often alleviated by the application of heat to the lowerabdomen or back. It is a particular object of the invention to providedevices for applying heat to the lower abdomen or back, withoutinterfering with the normal activities of the wearer of the devices.

Still further objects and advantages of the invention will appear uponfurther study of the following detailed description, when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, and wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a device, constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-section taken along the line 2-2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of a modification of the deviceillustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an elevational View of a modification of a device especiallyadapted for application to the back of the body; and

Figure 5 is a device heated by electricity for application to the humanbody.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the numeral l represents a beltadapted to be secured about the human body at the waist, to which may besecured at two points the upwardly extending arms 2 of a V-shapedcontainer 3, which is of generally flat construction, and hollow for thereception of the water. The device 3 may be constructed of aluminum andmay be corrugated at 4 in the face of the device 3 which is wornadjacent to the body. Aluminum is a material having relatively high heat:conductivity, whereas rubber and similar materials, of which suchdevices have previously been constructed, are heat-insulating, andgreatly reduce the efficiency of the devices. By corrugating the surfaceof the container contacting the body of the wearer, portions of thecontainer over the entire area of the body-contacting surface thereofare brought into intimate contact with the body and this factor alongwith the high-heat conductivity of the material of which the containeris constructed, provides an eflicient transfer of heat from the contentsof the container to the body.

The container 3 has a V-shape, generally conforming to the shape of thelower abdomen of the human body, has a total breadth not materially lessthan the breadth of the abdomen, a width of its portions materially lessthan the total breadth thereof, and a thickness materially less than thewidth of any portion. This shape not only provides a container whichwill overlie the maximum amount of the abdominal area to which it isdesired to apply heat without involving unnecessary weight andbulkiness, but also, because of the rigid nature of the material ofwhich the container is formed and the aboveindicated shape, closelcontacts the body over the entire body-contacting surface thereof.-

A Second belt 5 is secured adjacent to the point of the container device3 and has for its purpose to retain the lower portion of the device 3flat against the body, retaining the same firmly in this position in allattitudes and positions of the body of the wearer.

The numeral 6 designates an inlet for water with an appropriate screw-oncover.

Figure 4 of the drawings represents a device In of the general characterof the device 3 but shaped and adapted to be secured to the back of thewearer, and secured to the body of the wearer by belts I I and I2.

Referring specifically to Figure 3 of the drawings, there is illustrateda modification of the device illustrated in Figure 1, but in which thedevice, designated 20, is secured to the body by the belts 2| and 22.The device 20 is compartmented, as at 23 and 24, the compartments beingseparated by a partition 25. Each compartment is provided with an accessopening and screw-on cover cap 26.

Figure 5 represents a device adapted to be substituted. for the waterheated species of the invention, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4inclusive-and in which an insulating member 30 is secured to a belt 3|,and has embedded therein an electrical heating element 32 which isenergized from a battery or batteries 35 of the dry cell type secured ina container 33 carried 3 by the belt, the batteries being connected tothe heater 32 by means of wires 34.

Having described and illustrated several embodiments of my invention, itis to be understood that various modifications of the invention, inrespect to details of construction, may be resorted to Without doingViolence to the spirit of the invention as defined by the followingclaim.

What I claim is:

Apparatus for applying heat to' a portion of the human body comprising athin-walled, hollow, substantiall V-shaped container, a belt secured tothe upper ends of the legs ofsaid container and adapted to surround thebody of the wearer at the waist, a second belt attached to saidcontainer at the apex thereof and adapted to surround the body of thewearer below the waist, said belts together holding said containerfirmly against the bodyof the wearer, said container having a totalbreadth not materially less 'thanthe breadth of-the lower portion of theabdomen of the wearer, the width of its leg portions being materiallyless than its total width and the container having a thicknessmaterially less than the width of any of its portions, and having aflat, corrugated Wall adapted to contact the body of the wearer tofacilitate the transfer of heat from the contents of said container tothe body of the wearer.

JOSEPHINE N. EATMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 90,191 Potter May 18, 1869734,213 Barnes July 21, 1903 783,827 Gasaway et a1. Feb. 28, 19051,159,160 Beringer Nov. 2, 1915 1,603,001 Carter Oct. 12, 1926 1,629,626Jirasek May 24, 1927 117391525 Walters Dec. 1'7, 1929 2,038,275 FoggApr. 21, 1936 2,136,043 Delaney Nov. 8, 1938 2,298,361 Freund Oct. 13,1942

